Overbed table

ABSTRACT

An overbed table having a double-sided cabinet with a flexible sliding door that is movable to selectively open either side of the cabinet. The flexible sliding door is movable through a range of motion that allows it to selectively close the openings in both sides of the cabinet or to provide access to the interior of the cabinet through one opening or the other. The door may be a single tambour door. The tambour door may be into fitted into a track that extends substantially around the front, top, rear and bottom of the cabinet. The tambour door wraps around only portion of the cabinet and is movable within the track. The cabinet includes a base with a rack for storing, among other things, shoes or slippers. The base may include outer feet that support the outer wheels. The rack may be mounted to the outer feet.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to tables and more particularly to overbed tables.

Overbed tables have been in widespread use for many years. For example, overbed tables are commonly used in hospitals and other health care facilities. A typical overbed table is used to provide a temporary work surface for an occupant of a bed. Given that activities in and around the bed, such as treatment of patients, might be hampered by the presence of a overbed table, conventional overbed tables are movable so that they can be moved out of the way when desired. To that end, overbed tables often include wheels, casters or other similar components that facilitate movement of the overbed table. Further, because beds may be at different heights, it is not uncommon for a overbed table to be height adjustable. This allows the overbed table to be used with different beds or with the same bed at different height adjustments. In many applications, the overbed table includes a telescoping upright that is selectively adjustable to control the height of the tabletop.

Some overbed tables include a cabinet with shelves or drawers that allow items to be stored in the overbed table. In some environments, the cabinet is provided as a storage location for the occupant of the bed. For example, in a hospital, the overbed table cabinet may be reserved as a storage location for a patient. This allows the patient to have a storage location that is easily accessible even from the bed. In some conventional overbed tables, the cabinet is mounted to the undersurface of the tabletop so that cabinet is carried up and down with adjustments to the height of the tabletop.

Although existing overbed tables provide a solid solution for many applications, there remains a continuing need for an improved overbed table that provides enhanced functionality without unacceptable cost increases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a overbed table having a double-sided cabinet with a flexible door that is movable to selectively open either side of the cabinet. In this embodiment, the cabinet includes an interior space that is accessible through openings in both the front and rear of the cabinet. The double-sided cabinet permits access to the interior space regardless of whether the overbed table is moved into position from either the left or right side of the bed. The flexible door is movable through a range of motion that allows it to selectively close the openings in both sides of the cabinet or to provide access to the interior of the cabinet through one opening or the other.

In one embodiment, the cabinet includes a single tambour door that functions as a selective closure for both sides of the cabinet. The tambour door may be into fitted into a track that extends around the front, top, rear and bottom of the cabinet. The tambour door wraps around a portion of the cabinet and is movable within the track. The tambour door may be of appropriate length to simultaneously close the openings in both sides of the cabinet when in the closed position and to provide access to the interior space through one of the two openings when in an open position.

In one embodiment, the cabinet includes a base with a rack for storing, among other things, shoes or slippers. In one embodiment, the rack is a metal wire rack of sufficient size to hold a pair of shoes or slippers. The base may include feet that support the wheels. In some embodiments, the feet may be spaced apart to provide a space for the rack. In such embodiments, the rack may be mounted to and supported by the feet.

The present invention provides a overbed table with improved operation and enhanced functionality. The cabinet includes openings on both sides so that its interior space is accessible from both sides, thereby allowing the rolling table to be rolled up to the bed from either the left or right side. The flexible door is contained within the confines of the cabinet even when it is open. This means that the overbed table requires less space than a overbed table with a conventional swinging door. For example, the overbed table can be rolled up next to other items situated around the bed without the need to accommodate for the extra space required by a swinging door. The rack connected to the base provides a simple and convenient location for storing footwear or other items without increasing the footprint of the overbed table. Further, the rack may be situated on the base outward from the cabinet so that it remains accessible even when the overbed table is rolled up to a bed.

These and other features of the invention will be more fully understood and appreciated by reference to the description of the embodiments and the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a overbed table in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the overbed table.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the overbed table.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the overbed table taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the overbed table.

FIG. 6 is a front perspective view showing the door in the open position.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged front view of a portion of the overbed table with the door in the open position.

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of the overbed table taken along line VIII-VIII of FIG. 1 showing the door in the closed position.

FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view of the overbed table taken along line IX-IX of FIG. 6 similar to FIG. 3 showing the door in the first open position.

FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view of the overbed table similar to FIG. 3 showing the door in the second open position.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross sectional of a portion of the view of the overbed table showing the door fitted into the tracks.

FIG. 12 is a cross section view of the overbed table showing a track in a sidewall.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the overbed table showing the door open and a drawer in the open position.

FIG. 14 is a cross sectional view of the overbed table showing the door open and a drawer in the open position.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a portion of the overbed table showing the rack.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

A overbed table 10 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The overbed table 10 generally includes a base 12, an upright 14, a tabletop 16 and a cabinet 18. The cabinet 18 includes openings on both sides so that the interior space is accessible from the front and rear of the overbed table 10. The cabinet 18 of the illustrated embodiment includes a flexible sliding door 20, such as a tambour door, that is movable within the confines of the cabinet 18. The door 20 is selectively movable to close both openings, close on at the same time or opening The base 12 may include a rack 22 capable of storing items, such as shoes or slippers.

Directions terms, such as “front,” “back,” “left,” “right,” “top” and “bottom,” are used in reference to the physical orientation shown in FIG. 1, and are not intended to limit the present invention to use in applications in which the overbed table 10 is configured for use in any specific orientation. Further the terms “inner” and “outer” (and other like terms) are used to refer to the direction in which the overbed table is oriented when it is position for use at a bed. More specifically, the term “inner” refers to a direction extending generally toward the bed (although not necessarily toward the center of the bed) and the term “outer” refers to a direction extending generally away from the bed (although not necessarily directly away from the center of the bed).

Referring now to FIGS. 1-3, the overbed table 10 includes a base 12 that rests on the floor and provides a structural foundation for the remainder of the overbed table 10. Although the design and configuration of the base may vary from application to application, the base 12 of the illustrated embodiment includes an upright support 24 and four feet 26 a-d that extend from the upright support 24 to provide a broad foundation for the overbed table 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the base 12 includes two inner feet 26 a-b that are spaced apart and extend substantially parallel to one another. Although the length of the inner feet 26 a-b may vary, the feet 26 a-b may terminate in a common plane with the inner end of the tabletop 16. The base 12 may also include outer feet 26 c-d that are spaced apart and extend substantially parallel to one another. Although not strictly necessary, casters, wheels or other similar components may be mounted to the base 12 to facilitate movement of the overbed table 10. In the illustrated embodiment, a caster 28 a-d is mounted to the undersurface of each foot 24 a-d (See FIG. 5). The base 12 may be manufactured using any of a wide variety of techniques and apparatus. For example, the base 12 may be die cast, injection molded, machined or otherwise formed as a single unitary structure. As another example, the base 12 may be an assembly of discrete components, such as a weldment or a plurality of parts joined by adhesives and/or fasteners.

The upright 14 extends upwardly from the base 12 to support the tabletop 16. The upright 14 may be height-adjustable to allow variations in the height of the tabletop 16 and the cabinet 18. In the illustrated embodiment, the upright 14 includes a lower tubular segment 30 and an upper tubular segment 32 (See FIG. 4). The lower tubular segment 30 may be secured to the base 12 using essentially any mechanism capable of providing adequate structural support. For example, the lower tubular segment 30 may be secured to the base 12 by welding or by a bracket (not shown). A tabletop bracket 44 may be mounted to the upper end of the upper tubular segment 32 to provide a structure for securing the tabletop 16 to the upright 14 (See FIG. 4). The tabletop bracket 44 may be a rectangular plate welded or otherwise secured to the upper tubular segment 30. The lower tubular segment 30 is telescopically received within the upper tubular segment 32, and the degree of telescoping overlap may be varied to adjust the length of the upright 18 and consequently the height of the tabletop 16 and the cabinet 18. Although not shown, the overbed table 10 may include a height adjustment mechanism that allows selective adjustment of the upright 14. For example, a height adjustment mechanism may be housed within the interior of the lower tubular member 30 and the upper tubular member 32. Varieties of suitable height adjustment mechanism are included in conventional overbed tables, and are known to those skilled in the field. Accordingly, a detailed description of the height adjustment mechanism is not provided herein.

As noted above, the overbed table 10 includes tabletop 16 that functions as a multipurpose surface. The tabletop 16 generally includes a work surface 40 mounted atop the upright 14. In the illustrated embodiment, the tabletop 16 is secured to the upright 14 via tabletop bracket 44. More specifically, the work surface 40 of the illustrated embodiment is mounted to the tabletop bracket 44 by screws extending into the work surface 40 through holes in the bracket 44. Although the size, shape and configuration of the work surface 40 may vary from application to application, the work surface 40 of the illustrated embodiment is a generally rectangular planar structure. The tabletop 16 may include a pullout drawer 42 that is movably mounted to the undersurface of the work surface 40. The pullout drawer 42 of the illustrated embodiment includes a somewhat shallow tray that is capable of providing storage for some items. The pullout drawer 42 may be mounted using conventional drawer slides, if desired.

The overbed table 10 includes a cabinet 18 that provides a storage space. In the illustrated embodiment, the cabinet 18 is suspended from the undersurface of the tabletop 16 in a position where it is readily accessible to the occupant of a bed when the overbed table 10 is rolled into a “use” position adjacent the bed. More specifically, the cabinet 18 may be secured to the overbed table 10 by attaching the top 50 (described below) the undersurface of the work surface 40. For example, a plurality of screws (not shown) may extend through the cabinet top 50 into the work surface 40. The mounting arrangement of the cabinet 18 to the overbed table 10 may, however, vary from application to application. For example, the cabinet 18 may be mounted directly to the upright 14 or to both the tabletop 16 and the upright 14. In some applications, it may be desirable to mount the cabinet 18 to the base 12 rather than the upright 14 and/or tabletop 16. This alternatively may be appealing in applications where it is not desirable for the height of the cabinet 18 to vary with adjustments to the height of the tabletop 16.

In the illustrated embodiment, the cabinet 18 generally includes a top 50, a bottom 52, an inner sidewall 54, an outer sidewall 56 and a shelf 58 (See FIGS. 6 and 7). In the illustrated embodiment, the top 50, bottom 52 and sidewalls 54, 56 cooperatively define an interior space 60. The front and rear of the cabinet 18 may define openings 70 and 72, respectively, into the interior space 60. The various components may be intersecured using essentially any suitable techniques and apparatus, for example, using fasteners and adhesives. The interior space 60 may include essentially any individual shelf or drawer, or any combination of shelves and/or drawers. In the illustrated embodiment, the shelf 58 divides the interior space 60 into an upper region 62 and a lower region 64. The upper region 62 of the illustrated embodiment is open (e.g. includes no door) and provides a relatively shallow storage space intended to store thinner items, such as a laptop computer L, books, magazine or articles of similar height. The lower region 64 of the illustrated embodiment houses a pair of drawers 66 a-b that can be selectively pulled out from the interior space 60 through the openings 70, 72 to provide access to the contents of the drawers 66 a-b (See FIGS. 13 and 14). The drawers 66 a-b may mounted to the sidewalls 54, 56 using conventional drawer slides 68 (See FIGS. 7 and 14) that both support the drawers and facilitate their movement out of and into the space 60. The illustrated cabinet 18 is merely exemplary. The size, shape and configuration of the cabinet 18 may vary from application to application depending in part on the storage needs anticipated for a given application. Similarly, the location, number and configurations of shelves and drawers vary as desired.

As noted above, the front and rear of the illustrated cabinet 18 define openings 70, 72 into the interior space 60, including both the upper region 62 and the lower region 64. In the illustrated embodiment, the cabinet 18 includes a flexible, sliding door 20 that is movable to selectively close the openings 70, 72 in the lower region 64. The door 20 is movable between a closed position in which both openings 70, 72 are closed (See FIG. 8), a front open position in which the front opening 70 is open and the rear opening 72 is closed (See FIG. 9) and a rear open position in which the front opening 70 is closed and the rear opening 72 is open (See FIG. 10). Although the door 20 slides between the closed, front open and rear open positions, it can be placed in essentially any intermediate position. For example, if an occupant desires access to only the bottom drawer 66 b, the occupant may move the sliding door 20 only enough to provide sufficient access to the bottom drawer 66 b, thereby leaving top drawer 66a concealed behind the door 20.

As perhaps best shown in FIG. 11, the door 20 includes opposed edges 74, 76 that are slidably fitted into tracks 80, 82 in the inner sidewall 54 and the outer sidewall 56, respectively. FIG. 12 shows track 80 in inner sidewall 54. In this embodiment, track 82 in outer sidewall 56 is essentially a minor-image of track 80. As shown, the tracks 80, 82 may be recessed into the sidewalls 54, 56, for example, by routing the tracks into the sidewalls 54, 56. Alternatively, the tracks 80, 82 may be defined by separate components attached to the sidewalls 54, 56, such as metal or plastic tracks secured to the sidewalls. If desired, a long wear and/or low friction material may be disposed in the tracks 80, 82 and/or on the edges of the door 20 to reduce wear and/or to facilitate sliding movement of the door 20 within the tracks 80, 82. For example, a U-shaped Teflon® insert may be fitted into the routed tracks 80, 82 and/or onto the edges of the door 20 to provide a low friction interface between the door 20 and the tracks 80, 82. As another example, a rigid U-shaped metal or rigid U-shaped plastic insert may be fitted into the routed tracks 80, 82. In the illustrated embodiment, the inner track 80 defines an essentially complete (or closed) path extending around the inner sidewall 54 and the outer track 82 defines a matching path extending around the outer sidewall 56. If desired, the door 20, tracks 80, 82 and/or sidewalls 54, 56 may be fitted with stops (not shown) that limit movement of the door 20. For example, a first stop may be provided to prevent motion of the door in one direction beyond the front open position, and second stop may be provided to prevent motion of the door in the opposite direction beyond the rear open position. In the illustrated embodiment, the size of the openings 70, 72 and the length of the tracks 80, 82 between the openings 70, 72 are set to allow the openings 70, 72 to be fully opened. More specifically, in the illustrated embodiment the height of the openings 70, 72 (or the range of motion of the door 20, if they are not substantially the same) is no greater than the distance along the tracks 80, 82 between the opening 70, 72. Accordingly, when one end of the door 20 is fully raised within an opening 70, 72, the opposite end of the door 20 remains concealed and does not extend up into that opening 70, 72. Although the tracks 80, 82 of the illustrated embodiment form complete (or closed) paths, the paths may be incomplete (or open) in alternative embodiments. For example, in some applications it may be desirable to use an incomplete path (or incomplete track) to limit the range of motion of the door. In the illustrated embodiment, the cabinet 18 is configured so that the door 20 is lifted upwardly on either side to open the openings 70, 72. If desired, the cabinet 18 may be alternatively configured so that the direction of travel of the door 20 is reversed.

In the illustrated embodiment, the flexible door 20 is a tambour door. The tambour door 20 may have a laminated or layered construction in which a series of rigid elements are arranged on a flexible layer in a parallel, spaced apart configuration. The rigid elements may be manufactured from essentially any material, such as plastic, metal, glass, wood, fiberglass and carbon fiber. Similarly, the flexible layer may be essentially any flexible material, such as flexible plastic, flexible metal, canvas or other fabrics. Alternatively, the tambour door may include a plurality of slats that are hingedly joined together along longitudinal edges. The slats may be joined by hardware, such as hinges or other similar components, or they may be shaped so that they can be interconnected without additional hardware. For example, the slats may have longitudinal edge details that allow adjacent slats to interlock, while still allowing them pivot with respect to one another. A variety of suitable edge detail configurations are in conventional use on tambour doors and therefore will not be described herein. Although the illustrated embodiment includes a tambour door, the door 20 may be essentially any door capable of flexible, sliding movement similar to that of a tambour door. For example, the door may alternatively be a flexible sheet of plastic, metal or other materials. As another example, the door may be a canvas, fabric or other skin material mounted on a flexible frame. As can be seen, the flexible, sliding door 20 of this embodiment is contained substantially within the physical extents of the cabinet 18 throughout its entire range of motion. This allows the door to be moved without the concern of interference with objects adjacent to the overbed table 10, such as IV stands or medical equipment.

Although described in connection with a overbed table, a dual-sided cabinet with a single sliding, flexible door may be incorporated into other forms of furniture. For example, a dual-sided cabinet with a single sliding, flexible door may be incorporated into a filing cabinet that would allow access from opposite sides, such as the front and the rear. As another example, a dual-sided cabinet with a single sliding, flexible door may be incorporated into a hutch, credenza, entertainment center, bookcase or other item of furniture that might be used to divide an open space into two regions.

As noted above, the overbed table 10 may also include a lower rack 22. In the illustrated embodiment, the rack 22 is mounted to the base 12 and more specifically to the upright support 24 and the outer feet 26 c-d (See FIG. 15). However, the rack 22 may be mounted to essentially any component of the overbed table 10 with suitable structural integrity. For example, the rack 22 may be mounted directly to the upright 12, such as to the bottom of the lower tubular segment. The rack 22 of the illustrated embodiment is a substantially planar wire rack. The rack 22 may, however, be manufactured from other materials, such as wood, plastic or metal, and may be of essentially any size, shape or configuration. For example, the rack 22 may have contours that are intended to receive items to be stored. The rack may form a shallow tray with sidewalls that help to retain items placed on the rack. In other embodiments, the rack may be intended for storing specific items, and in such applications, the rack may be shaped to closely receive the intended items. The overbed table 10 may include multiple racks lower storage racks. For example, in addition to rack 22 mounted to the outer feet 26 c-d, the overbed table 10 may include an inner rack (not shown) mounted to the inner feet 26 a-b.

The above description is that of current embodiments of the invention. Various alterations and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and broader aspects of the invention as defined in the appended claims, which are to be interpreted in accordance with the principles of patent law including the doctrine of equivalents. Any reference to claim elements in the singular, for example, using the articles “a,” “an,” “the” or “said,” is not to be construed as limiting the element to the singular. 

1. A overbed table comprising: a base; an upright coupled to and extending from said base; a top mounted to said upright, said top forming a work surface; and a cabinet defining an interior storage space and a pair of opening providing access to said interior storage space, said cabinet including a flexible sliding door movable with respect to said cabinet to selectively close one or both of said openings.
 2. The overbed table of claim 1 wherein said cabinet defines a pair of opposed door channels that slidably receive opposite edges of the door.
 3. The overbed table of claim 2 wherein said channels define a closed path.
 4. The overbed table of claim 3 wherein a height of one of said openings is no greater than a distance along said channels between one of said openings and the other of said openings.
 5. The overbed table of claim 1 wherein said door is further defined as a tambour door having a plurality of slats hingedly connected to one another.
 6. The overbed table of claim 1 wherein said cabinet includes a drawer, said drawer being mounted on a drawer support that supports said drawer through a range of motion between a first position in which said drawer is fully contained within said interior storage space and a second position in which at least a portion of said drawer extends from said interior storage space.
 7. The overbed table of claim 4 wherein said cabinet includes a secondary storage space, said secondary storage space being accessible from opposite sides of said overbed table.
 8. The overbed table of claim 1 wherein said pair of openings includes a first opening on one side of said cabinet and a second opening on an opposite side of said cabinet.
 9. The overbed table of claim 1 further including a rack mounted to said base.
 10. A overbed table comprising: a base having at least one rolling component to facilitate rolling movement of said base; a tabletop carried by said base, said tabletop providing a work surface; and a cabinet carried by said base, said cabinet providing a storage space, said cabinet having a first opening on a first side and a second opening on a second side, said first opening providing access to said storage space from said first side and said second opening providing access to said storage space from said second side, said cabinet including a single flexible door slidably movable between a closed position in which said door closes said first opening and said second opening, a first open position in which said door closes said second opening and not said first opening, and a second open position in which said door closes said first opening and not said second opening.
 11. The overbed table of claim 10 wherein said cabinet includes a door track, said door being slidably movable along said track.
 12. The overbed table of claim 11 wherein a distance of travel of said door between said closed position and said first open position is no greater than a distance between said first opening and said second opening along said track, whereby a first end of said door can be moved to provide access through said first opening without causing said second end of said door to move into said first opening.
 13. The overbed table of claim 10 further including an upright mounted to and extending upwardly from said base, said base including an upright support, a first foot extending from said upright support in a first direction and a second foot extending from said upright support in a second direction; and wherein said base includes a rack mounted to said second foot.
 14. The overbed table of claim 12 wherein said base includes an upright support; and further including an upright mounted to and extending upwardly from said upright support, said base including a pair of inner feet extending from said upright support in a first direction and a pair of outer feet extending from said upright support in a second direction opposite said first direction; and wherein said base includes a rack mounted to said outer feet.
 15. A overbed table cabinet for mounting to a overbed table comprising: a first wall; a second wall spaced apart from said first wall to define an interior space; an interconnecting structure joining said first wall and said second wall; and a flexible door slidably mounted between said first wall and said second wall, said door being movable to selectively provide access to said interior space from opposed first and second sides of the cabinet, said door being slidably movable between a closed position in which said door closes access to said interior space from both of said first and second sides of the cabinet, a first open position in which said door closes access to said interior space only from said second side, and a second open position in which said door closes access to said interior space only from said first side.
 16. The overbed table cabinet of claim 15 wherein said flexible door is further defined as a tambour door.
 17. The overbed table cabinet of claim 15 further including a pair of tracks receiving opposite edges of said door.
 18. The overbed table cabinet of claim 17 wherein said tracks follow a closed path, whereby a portion of track receives a first end of said door when said door is in said first open position and receives a second end of said door when said door is in said second open position.
 19. The overbed table cabinet of claim 18 wherein said interconnecting structure includes a top wall, a bottom wall and a shelf; said shelf, said first wall, said second wall and said bottom wall defining a first interior space; said top wall, said first wall, said second wall and shelf defining a second interior space; and wherein said door is operable to selectively provide access only to said first interior space.
 20. The overbed table cabinet of claim 19 wherein a distance of travel of said door between said closed position and said first open position is no greater than a distance between said first opening and said second opening along said track. 